Send fertiliser immediately: Patnaik's SOS to Paswan

PTI|

Aug 06, 2008, 09.56 AM IST

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BHUBANESHWAR: Worried over the acute scarcity of fertiliser in the state, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has dashed yet another letter to Union Minister for Fertiliser and Chemical Ram Vilas Paswan urging him to inetervene into the matter, official sources said.

Patnaik who had earlier written a letter to Paswan on July 17, drew the union minister's attention again as the farmers in the state had been sitting hands tied due to non-availability of fertiliser. While the state government asked for 9.37 lakh metric ton of fertilisers to meet requirement during the kharif season, the Centre sanctioned 7.91 lakh metric ton.

But, Patnaik said in the letter, whatever fertiliser was sanctioned for the state did not reach the farmers during the time of need. While Orissa required 38,000 metric ton of DAP fertiliser for August, the state got 20,000 metric ton. Therefore, Patnaik urged Paswan to supply remainig 18,000 metric ton of DAP from IFFCO's fertiliser plant located at Paradip. He also pointed out that the farmers here need more DAP than TSP fertiliser.

The chief minister also urged the union minister to raise the state's gromer quota to 40,000 metric ton. "We have also not received urea fertiliser as quota for the month of July," Patnaik said in the letter. Inadequate supply of fertiliser seemed to have jeopardize the state's target to increase per hectar fertiliser consumption. While per hectare fertiliser consumption in the state was 53.2 kg last year, it was targeted to increase it to 80 kg per hectare.